THE PURPOSE OF DATA

The Black Hole is a clunky one-off Disney adventure film from 1979.

As a kid, I connected with its 3 bots:

1. V.I.N.CENT [Vital Information Necessary CENTralized]: Charming, insightful
2. MAXIMILIAN: Disobedient, distrustful
3. B.O.B: Bullied, damaged.

They embody my 3 phases of sentiments towards data, AI, our increasing surrender to IoT, and the Disney-esque pretence that the data world is in service to us: 'Making people happy'.

Because, let's be honest, the data world is in service to commerce while not making many of us particularly happy.

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The fossil fuel of our time

As many have said before me, data is the new oil.

We have spent over two decades drilling these fossil fuels. We are at the mercy of commodity traders, fuelling the growing resources of AI.

AI is the refinery.

Are we now entering a fuel crisis?

If data has a purpose, it has been to fuel commercial power. Business draws from a deeper well of understanding each of us every single day and purports to be able to predict what we will do next with great accuracy. And we are complicit.

We find ourselves embroiled in yet another situationship.

We can neither retreat, nor move forward.

We are stuck.

We just let others extrapolate our intentions from our behaviours, then invite them to manipulate our next actions.

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Our Data Situationship

Explore the notion of a data situationship with your friendly neighbourhood chatbot and the answers start to expose the flaws in the system - they focus on protection:

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Q: I am interested in how I can control and use my own data?

Controlling and using your own data is an important topic in today's digital world. Here are some key aspects to consider:

Data collection awareness:

• Be aware of what data you're sharing online and with whom
• Read privacy policies and terms of service for apps and websites

Privacy settings:

• Review and adjust privacy settings on social media platforms
• Control app permissions on your devices

Data portability:

• Look into options for exporting your data from various services
• Consider platforms that allow easy data transfer

Personal data management:

• Use password managers to secure your accounts
• Regularly back up important personal data

Data minimization:

• Only share necessary information online
• Delete old accounts and data you no longer need

Encryption:

• Use encrypted messaging apps for sensitive communications
• Consider encrypting important files on your devices

Self-hosting:

• Explore options for hosting your own cloud storage or email
• Look into personal server solutions for more control

Data rights:

• Familiarize yourself with data protection laws in your region (e.g., GDPR in Europe)
• Exercise your rights to access, correct, or delete your data from companies

Digital literacy:

• Stay informed about data privacy and security best practices
• Learn to recognize potential data breaches or misuse

Alternative services:

• Consider using privacy-focused alternatives to mainstream services
• Look for open-source options that give you more control

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Q: Do people feel in control of their data?

Generally-speaking, most people do not feel in control of their personal data. This sentiment is reflected in various surveys and studies conducted globally. Here's an overview of the situation:

Lack of control:

• Many surveys indicate that a majority of people feel they have little to no control over their personal data
• For example, a Pew Research Center study found that about 81% of Americans feel they have very little or no control over the data companies collect about them

Complexity and overwhelm:

• The sheer volume of data collected and the complexity of data ecosystems make many people feel overwhelmed
• Many find it difficult to understand how their data is being used or shared

Resignation:

• Some studies suggest a sense of "privacy fatigue" or resignation
• People may feel that losing control over their data is inevitable in the digital age

Trust issues:

• There's widespread distrust in how companies and governments handle personal data
• High-profile data breaches and scandals have eroded confidence

Generational differences:

• Younger generations might be more comfortable sharing data but not necessarily more confident in controlling it
• Older generations may feel less control due to lower digital literacy

Regional variations:

• In regions with strong data protection laws (like the EU with GDPR), people might feel slightly more in control
• However, even in these regions, the feeling of control is often limited

Knowledge gap:

• Many people lack understanding of how to effectively control their data
• This knowledge gap contributes to feelings of powerlessness

Consent mechanisms:

• Complex privacy policies and confusing consent mechanisms often leave users feeling they have no real choice

Invisible data collection:

• The prevalence of invisible data collection (e.g., through IoT devices or tracking pixels) adds to the feeling of lack of control

Trade-offs for services:

• Many feel forced to give up control over their data to access essential or desired services

While awareness of data privacy issues is growing, the feeling of being in control of one's data remains elusive for most people. This disconnect between awareness and perceived control is a significant challenge in the digital privacy landscape.

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Q: What would need to change for people to feel in better control of their data?

To help people feel more in control of their data, several significant changes would need to occur across various sectors. Here are key areas that would need to be addressed:

Legislation and regulation:

• Stronger, more comprehensive data protection laws globally
• Stricter enforcement of existing regulations
• Standardization of data rights across jurisdictions

Corporate practices:

• More transparent data collection and usage policies
• Simpler, clearer consent mechanisms
• Easier access to personal data and more user-friendly deletion processes
• Privacy by design in product development

Education and awareness:

• Improved digital literacy programs in schools and for adults
• Clear, accessible information on data rights and protection methods
• Public awareness campaigns on the value and implications of personal data

Technological solutions:

• Development of user-friendly privacy tools and dashboards
• Improved data portability between services
• Advanced encryption and anonymization technologies
• Decentralized identity systems

User interface design:

• Simplified privacy settings across platforms
• Clear, understandable explanations of data usage at point of collection
• Visual representations of data flows and usage

Data ownership models:

• Exploration of personal data store concepts
• Implementation of user-centric data models where individuals truly own their data

Accountability measures:

• Increased corporate accountability for data breaches and misuse
• More severe penalties for non-compliance with data protection laws

Consent mechanisms:

• Moving beyond the current "take it or leave it" approach
• Granular, revocable consent options for different types of data and uses

Cultural shift:

• Promoting a culture that values privacy and data control
• Encouraging companies to compete on privacy features

Algorithmic transparency:

• Greater insight into how AI and algorithms use personal data
• Options to opt out of algorithmic decision-making processes

Data minimization:

• Encouraging companies to collect only necessary data
• Promoting privacy-preserving technologies

Interoperability standards:

• Creating standards that allow for easier data transfer between services
• Reducing lock-in effects that discourage users from changing services

Independent audits:

• Regular, independent audits of company data practices
• Public reporting of audit results

User empowerment tools:

• Development of tools that give users more control over their digital footprint
• Easy-to-use privacy checkers and data removal services

Implementing these changes would require coordinated efforts from governments, corporations, educators, and technology developers. It's a complex challenge that touches on legal, technological, and social aspects of our digital ecosystem.

Ha. All I see:

...Resignation.

...Fatigue.

...Surrender.

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Protection from our truth

While we perceive a loss of control in our data, we trust in regulation to protect us and our ethics.

Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency; Purpose limitation; Data minimisation; Accuracy; Storage limitation; Integrity and confidentiality; Accountability.

These founding values of GDPR provide a note of reassurance we while ignore our responsibilities to enact and measure our own ethical frameworks.

What if we ascribed those same values to our private intentions, thoughts and actions - our states of feeling, thinking, doing and being, inspiring our values, informing our behaviours - as measured by our own data?

What if we took measurable responsibility for our changing intentions and behaviours?

We seem to be on the cusp of change. Not just in how we might protect our data ongoing incognito but exploit it ourselves - for our own purpose.

Ask that of our chatty bot?

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Q: How could I utilise my data to build my own purpose?

Utilizing your personal data to build your own purpose is an intriguing and potentially powerful approach. Here's how you might go about it:

Goal setting and tracking:

• Use personal data to set realistic, data-driven goals
• Track progress using various metrics (e.g., time spent, milestones achieved)
• Adjust your goals based on the data you collect about your performance

Skill development:

• Identify areas for personal growth based on your data
• Use learning apps or platforms that track your progress
• Analyse which learning methods work best for you

Career planning:

• Use your data to identify your strengths and weaknesses
• Match your skills and interests with potential career paths
• Track your professional development over time

Health and wellness:

• Utilize fitness tracker data to improve your physical health
• Monitor sleep patterns and optimize your rest
• Track mood and mental health indicators to improve emotional well-being

Financial planning:

• Analyze spending patterns to align your finances with your values
• Set and track financial goals based on your data
• Use budgeting apps to make informed decisions

Time management:

• Review how you spend your time using productivity apps
• Identify areas where you can optimize your daily routine
• Align your time allocation with your priorities and purpose

Relationship mapping:

• Analyze your social interactions and communications
• Identify key relationships that align with your values and goals
• Nurture connections that support your purpose

Personal projects:

• Use your data to inspire and inform personal projects or side hustles
• Track project progress and outcomes

Self-reflection and analysis:

• Review your digital footprint (social media activity, search history, app usage)
• Analyze patterns in your interests, behaviors, and choices
• Use this information to gain deeper insights into your values and motivations

Ethical considerations:

• Reflect on your digital behavior and its alignment with your values
• Use your data to make more conscious choices about your online presence

By leveraging your personal data in these ways, you can gain valuable insights into yourself, make more informed decisions, and align your actions more closely with your evolving sense of purpose.

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Of course, there are many apps that serve many of these needs - personal performance tools from Strava to Zoe.

But self-reflection and analysis of patterns, overlaid with 'ethical considerations'?

'Reflect on your [digital] behaviour and its alignment with your values

Use your data to make more conscious choices [about your online presence]'

Surely that is the new frontier for data: A growing personal responsibility to and for our own data and what it says about us and our intentions.

I am exploring this on two fronts:

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1/ Taking responsibility for our values and conscious choices

We have lived in a world in which we look to validate our sense of self through third parties - rewards and awards given by others for our outputs.

It is as if we have consciously ceded our life data to the value Gods, who rule over us and judge us. They alone will decide how our outputs are read, benchmarked and valued.

No wonder our self-esteem is permanently at threat. Will we ever measure up?

Yet the true value of our data is in our own perception of it.?

Our New Working Class life skills programme and lifelong learning pathway for people in transitional moments (feeling cut adrift and insecure) prizes personal responsibility and accountability for our intentions.

To that end, we have designed a self-discovery tool on the principles that our feelings inspire our thinking, our thinking informs our actions, and our actions embody how we turn up in the world – our being.

We invite students to collect and track personal data in service to their sense of self as a daily process of growth.

Self-reflection enables them to look for patterns of feelings, thoughts and behaviours as lived values.

And to make the conscious choices we can and should own in life.

Learning through life will drive purposeful outcomes for us when measured against our own developing values. Individuals can and should track that growth.

This kind of personal data is and should only be in service to ourselves, outside of the jurisdiction of any 'regulator' - parent, teacher, employer, supplier, trader, manipulator. It is our responsibility and opportunity.

Now apply that to the global workplace challenge.

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2/ Taking responsibility for our engagement and alignment at work

Gallup's ongoing Global Workplace research states that 77% of us are disconnecting from work - the great resignation.

70% of that is due to misalignment with management - the incoherence of our values with the organisation's.

Corporates are obsessing over a generational malaise [those pesky entitled, lazy Genz and Gen A folk], corporate purpose, and mental health sticking plasters. They are trying to remove barriers to growth.

But they seem to misunderstand both the problem and the prospective solution: unlocking the motivations of an individual with positive intent and purposeful data.

Taking cues from NWC, at Humanness we have developed a diagnostic tracking tool to measure and map what we call Key Humanness Indicators.

Because human perceptions of purpose, agency and belonging in the workplace are surely lagging indicators of business health, wealth and growth.

We have designed a methodology to unpack and measure how individuals muster energy for what they do - purposeful agency in the workplace - and how it represents engagement.?

But that engagement is only felt to be of value by the energised individual if it is felt to share common purpose across the team, business unit, or organisation - a sense of alignment.

The tracker invites the individual to score perceptions of themselves, then the organisation on 20 dimensions. It creates 40 data points.

The questions and their scores correlate the individual with their organisation, such that they can measure 'coherence' – whether an individual's perceived energy lands with cultural purpose, such that it is then felt to be harnessed by the organisation to deliver commercial power.

As an employee, if my energy is not felt to be utilised by the organisation, then incoherence arises. I feel misunderstood and or undervalued.

Equally, I may perceive that the organisation’s purpose is out of synch with mine. I feel I am in the wrong place. Again, this surfaces data to evidence a visceral sense of incoherence.

Acknowledge that and we begin to make more conscious choices.

We become more conscious in our performance.

And the business can help us sustain it.

Creating the conditions for purpose to become power

At Humanness, we provide a 5-stage process to create the ongoing conditions for the human qualities of individuals to emerge within an organisation and be harnessed. ?

Or how to create Sustained Conscious Performance.

When an individual leans in. And that weight is both felt and put to work by the organisation, alongside others. Getting beyond outputs, to drive powerful outcomes.

We can measure workers' engagement and alignment, its move towards coherence. This coherence indicates human balance in the organisation.

It empirically shows growth.

It powers the business.

Unlike traditional HR trackers, Employee Net Promoter Scores [ENPS] et al, with Humanness we engineer our tracker and process of emergence so that the power, responsibility and accountability for engagement and alignment remains with the individual.

They can reflect upon and triage their own values, behaviours and outcomes.

They watch their own graphs emerge.

They feel, think and act upon an increasing sense of purpose.

In turn, they are more likely to turn up at work and lean in.

Every worker will feel a metaphysical engagement and alignment with the organisation's cultural drive; directly in tune with the engine of its commercial power.

Data can and should have real human purpose.

For personal responsibility.

For positive intentions.

That data is priceless.

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If you want to join an NWC learning programme or baseline the Key Humanness Indicators in your business, get in touch. ?

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